India to host 1st global AI summit in Global South

India Jan 02, 2026

India is gearing up to host the first-ever global AI summit in the Global South on February 19-20, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Participation from over 100 countries is expected, with the goal of making AI more inclusive and impactful for people and the planet.

What's happening and why does it matter?

This summit builds on PM Modi's announcement last year in France and will focus on seven big themes—from boosting human talent to making AI safer and more accessible.
Leading up to the event, there are hackathons, innovation challenges, an AI Expo, and citizen input drives (already over 600 responses!).
The idea is to turn talk into real action—especially for sectors like healthcare, education, and agriculture—so that everyone benefits from smarter tech.